Set after: Breakup Part 2

An ice cream tub, a pizza box, and countless candy wrappers adorned the Gilmore living room. Mother and daughter were strewn on the couch fast asleep. Lorelai opened her eyes and tried to remove herself from the couch without waking her daughter. She walked into the kitchen to start coffee, wondering what sparked her daughter's sudden desire to wallow. She had seemed so against it the day before, not wanting to waste any of her valuable time thinking of her breakup. Lorelai recognized the need to wallow. She knew Rory needed to start to get over Dean before she would ever be prepared for anyone else. Rory had told her last night that Dean had said "I love you" and she had been unable to say it back. After Rory cried her eyes out and large amounts of junk food had been consumed and chick flicks had been watched, Rory confessed that she knew she didn't love Dean, at first she thought she had just been scared but now she knew that Dean just wasn't the one for her. He was obviously more serious about her than she was about him. Lorelai decided that this was a good revelation. Lorelai was not in favor of those relationships which just dragged on like hers and Christopher's had. She could foresee Rory and Dean getting back together even when Rory knew she didn't love him. She knew that would be bad. So she was happy that her daughter was smart enough to recognize the end. And she was glad Rory had wallowed. Now she could begin to function again. Just as Lorelai was pouring the coffee Rory woke up and wandered into the kitchen.

"Coffee?" she asked sleepily.

"But of course, sleeping beauty, didn't feel like getting up at 6 today?" Lorelai responded lightly.

"Hell no! And never again either. I promise that was a one time deal. I will never get that crazy again. Now your coffee is good but can we go to Luke's cuz his is better and he has food."

"Hey! We have food too!"

"Sorry, I meant something besides stale poptarts."

"fair enough, let's go. But no more alley ways!"

"Promise."

The girls walked to Luke's and enjoyed a quiet breakfast without the street brawls from the previous day. Rory felt much more cheerful today and chatted with her mother about her school projects and about Lane. In general although she was still upset about her breakup, Rory felt that things were improving. That is until her mother asked the question:

"So, Lane met a future Korean doctor at the party, huh? Well how did you enjoy the party." Rory's stomach plummeted as she remembered the other night. She couldn't believe she had run away crying. He must think she was an idiot. And he had been being so nice too. Even apologizing for being so mean to her. Granted it didn't make up for all the months of calling her Mary and the constant annoyance caused merely by his existence. But it was at least a step in the right direction. And then he had kissed her. It hadn't been what she was expecting. She never expected to go out the night after breaking up with Dean and kiss Tristan of all people. But it had been a good kiss. Like a really good kiss. She had definitely kissed him back. Until her brain finally checked in and she realized that she was kissing a guy that wasn't Dean. It was the first time she had done that. And then she had cried, because she hadn't cried and she knew she needed to. Even though now she resolutely knew that she didn't love Dean she had needed some time to mourn. But it had been a good kiss. Oh my god I can't believe I cried and ran he's gonna think I'm a ...Rory jumped when she heard Lorelai's voice:

"Rory! earth to Rory, did you hear me? I asked you a question? Sweetie come on, come back to us."

"Oh sorry mom, um the party was fine there was soda and dancing and Paris was the soda monitor and wants to be Madame Curie but has to go to parties anyway I got bored I went to read, Summer and Tristan broke up andthenTristanandIkissed and then Lane and I came home" Rory rambled.

"Wait, wait what was that last part?"

"Lane and I came home?"

"no back up a little more, you see mommy just thought you said that you kissed Tristan. Now I know that didn't happen but just tell me what you said before mommy had an aneurysm."

Rory suddenly found the table extremely fascinating. She wouldn't look her mother in the eye as she said "We did kiss mom. But I ran away crying."

"Wait, sweetie you ran away crying? What is this you can't kiss boys without running?"

"It was my first instinct."

"Like mother like daughter, I guess. It's okay sweetie. Was it a good kiss?"

"Really good," Rory mumbled.

"Like really really good like better than Dean good?"

"Yeah, like that," Rory admitted quietly.

"So now let me get this straight. Tristan, the bane of your existence, evil spawn-of-Satan bible boy happens to be really hott and a really good kisser. Now that's just unfair. I guess they can't be really good looking, really good kissers, and really nice can they?"

"Well he was being really nice just before he kissed me. He apologized for being an ass and everything. He said Dean was an idiot for breaking up with me. He sounded really sincere too." Rory looked up at her mother with wide innocent eyes.

Lorelai didn't quite trust this Tristan kid. It sounded suspicious. From what Rory had told her he had just a little too much experience and was just a little too smooth. She could see that getting involved with Tristan could lead to heartbreak and Rory didn't need more pain right now. "Well hon, if he really is sorry and was being nice maybe you guys could be friends. I mean you probably don't want to get involved with anyone else right now right?" Lorelai asked praying her sensible daughter would chose the path least likely to lead to more pain.

"Of course it's too soon. That's why I cried. And besides it's Tristan. One lousy apology does not make up for those months of torture. Besides why should I date Tristan. I mean he's a playboy and conceited and rich and a snob and and and"

"Hon you're rambling. You could give him a chance. As a friend of course."

"Yeah maybe I'll do that. That is if he wants to I mean I did run away crying. Not really that appealing" "Well I'm sure it's alright" Lorelai assured her "No let's go home, I'm sure you have homework, you always do."

"Oh yeah that's what Chilton's good for...maybe we'll have a snow day tomorrow."

"Maybe..you can always hope."

The girls walked home and as they opened the door they could hear the phone ringing.

"I'll get it! I'll get it!" Rory shouted beating her mother through the door frantically searching for the phone. She finally found it in her hamper and answered it with an out-of-breath "Hello?"

"Hi, is this Rory?"

"yeah, who's this?"

"Tristan..."

to be continued...if you want

reviews please...